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O'Reilly to Headline Weldbend IPD Breakfast at NetworkASAAmerican Supply AssociationPolitical spin runs rampant in Washington, D.C., but on Oct. 3 "the spin stops here" at the Renaissance Downtown Hotel during the annual Weldbend IPD Breakfast at NetworkASA 2013. Bill O’Reilly, the best-selling author (Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy) and host of Fox News Channel's smash hit The O'Reilly Factor will be the keynote speaker at the "can't miss" Weldbend IPD Breakfast. By now you should have received a NetworkASA 2013 registration brochure in the mail. Complete event information, including online hotel reservations and registration details, can be found on the NetworkASA 2013 convention page.

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EPA Releases DRAFT FAQ on Lead LawAmerican Supply AssociationThe Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act will become effective Jan. 4, 2014. While ASA has met with representatives and policymakers to express our industry's concerns and seek support for relief in implementing this law, we must still prepare for the coming date. On May 23, the EPA released a DRAFT FAQ to assist states, water systems, plumbing product manufacturers, distributors and plumbers in their efforts to comply with the Act. According to the EPA, the DRAFT FAQ expresses the agency's interpretation of the statutory requirements as of this time. The EPA and ASA are interested in your feedback on this draft. Please offer your suggestions.

ASA Safety Committee to Present FREE Workplace Violence WebinarAmerican Supply AssociationDo you have questions regarding your rights and responsibilities if a violent workplace incident occurs? What about if a fight breaks out between two co-workers? What does the law, specifically OSHA, require of you as an employer? Are you allowed, required or precluded from sharing this information with others? Join former OSHA attorney Michael Taylor on Wednesday, July 10, at 2 p.m. EDT for a FREE webinar, presented by the ASA Safety Committee, on what you need to know in the event violence occurs in the workplace.

Recognize Safety Excellence at Your CompanyAmerican Supply AssociationNominations for ASA's 2012 Member Safety Recognition Awards, to be presented during NetworkASA 2013 in Washington, D.C., are being accepted through Thursday, Aug 1. Six awards will be presented — three in the distributor category and three in the manufacturer category — and all are based on number of safe hours worked in 2012. The award program was created by the ASA Safety Committee to elevate awareness in all aspects of the PHCP and PVF industry and to recognize ASA members who had the lowest incident rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses throughout the previous year. Download an award application and contact Dan Hilton, Director of Government Affairs, for more details.

Beschloss: Slicing the Pie SmallerSupply House TimesOne of the fascinating sidebars to the current problems, as well as opportunities confronting such major economic sectors as electrical, PHCP, PVF and industrial mill/supply distribution are the solid entities acting as the key warehousing/marketing bodies for the overwhelming central point between manufacturers and end users/installers.

New Orders for Durable Goods Up 3.3% in AprilModern Distribution ManagementNew orders for manufactured durable goods in April increased 3.3% to $222.6 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This increase, up two of the last three months, followed a 5.9% March decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.3%. Excluding defense, new orders increased 2.1%. Transportation equipment, also up two of the last three months, led the increase, $5.1 billion or 8.1% to $67.6 billion. This was led by nondefense aircraft and parts, which increased $1.9 billion.

Rising Home and Stock Prices Boost US ConfidenceThe Associated Press via Industrial DistributionAmericans are more confident in the U.S. economy than at any point in the past five years, thanks to surging home values, a brighter job market and record-setting stock prices.

Construction Jobs Data Shows Uneven Signs of Employment Growth For Construction ProsConstruction employment declined in 32 states and the District of Columbia in April even as 29 states added jobs between April 2012 and April 2013, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials noted that construction demand in a number of states appears to be slackening amid federal construction spending cuts and relatively weak private-sector demand.

Is US Manufacturing Making a Comeback — or Is It Just Hype?The Washington PostIt's hardly news when a U.S. firm moves its manufacturing operations abroad to China. But what about when a Chinese company sets up a factory in the United States? That actually happened in January, when Lenovo, a Beijing-based computer maker, opened a new manufacturing line in Whitsett, N.C., to handle assembly of PCs, tablets, workstations and servers.